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Screening combo finds HCC in cirrhosis patients

A combination of ultrasound and alpha-fetoprotein testing identified almost all hepatocellular carcinomas in patients with cirrhosis that was primarily associated with chronic hepatitis C, a retrospective study has shown. UTMB Drs. Roger Soloway and Jason B. Welch explained that CT and MRI are the “gold standard” in identifying HCC, but they are too expensive to employ as a first-line method at the recommended frequency. “Ultrasound can eliminate more expensive imaging studies until confirmation is necessary, thus reducing the overall cost of medical monitoring for patients in HCC screening populations,” said Soloway.